People's Energy Company Creates New Supplier for East Lothian Council

East Lothian Council has partnered with People’s Energy to offer special energy tariffs to local residents in a bid to tackle fuel poverty.

The local authority and People’s Energy, the UK’s only Community Interest Company energy supplier, will together launch East Lothian Energy, a supplier exclusively for the area. 

The new East Lothian Energy will offer one special variable and one fixed tariffs, discounted from People’s Energy Company’s regular tariffs and available only to East Lothian residents. 

Residents who sign up to the tariff can save up to £200 a year on their energy bills, particularly if they are switching from a default tariff priced around the level of the energy price cap, currently set at £1,126 a year for a dual-fuel household with typical use.

Customers of the new supplier will also automatically receive People’s Energy membership and can benefit from the supplier’s pledge to pay back 75% of profits to domestic energy customers through an annual rebate. However, as the supplier is yet to turn a profit, rebates have not yet been paid.

Additionally, 100% of the electricity supplied by the tariffs will be renewable.

East Lothian Council hopes the venture helps reduce fuel poverty in the region, which stands at nearly a quarter (22%) of households, equating to 13,500 households.

Councillor Norman Hampshire, Cabinet Spokesperson for the Environment, East Lothian Council, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with People’s Energy to launch this exciting new initiative. East Lothian Energy gives county residents the exclusive opportunity to purchase affordable, sustainable and fair energy. We hope this will be attractive to householders across a mix of tenures – including tenants and homeowners.

“As well as saving money and helping to reduce fuel poverty, East Lothian Energy is a great way of enabling customers to support the environment and tackling climate change – a key priority for us as a council. That is because all of the electricity comes from 100% renewable sources".

The collaboration advances People’s Energy Company’s commitment to ensure access to affordable energy for all and to prioritise the wellbeing of communities over profits.

David Pike, CEO and co-founder of People’s Energy, said: “With this new affordable tariff for East Lothian residents, we have the potential to reduce the fuel poverty gap in the area quite considerably.

“People’s Energy is a social enterprise that puts people and the planet before profits. We’re delighted to have the opportunity to partner with East Lothian Council to help make a positive change in the same area where People’s Energy first started three years ago.”